Journey of an Amazing Young Banjo Woman
Interview and article by Pat Cronin
The amazing Audrey Abbe is 19 years old now; going on 20 in December 2021. She was only 10 1/2 years old when she told her mother (Laurie Curtis-Abbe) she wanted to play an instrument but not just any instrument; she wanted to play the banjo! Why would a young girl in the 5th grade want to play the banjo? Specifically, Audrey wanted to play “clawhammer” style banjo!
Audrey was attending Montalvo Elementary School in Ventura, Ca. during the summer of 2012. Influenced by her aunt who played percussion and her sister who played cello, she was partially joking when she told her mother that she wanted to play the banjo because it was “different”. The joke became a reality.
At age 12, Audrey joined the California State Old Time Fiddler’s Association District 8, and started attending Sunday meetings at the Oakview Community Center with her mother Laurie.
At Montalvo, Audrey was part of their two-way immersion program, a system of education designed to provide opportunities for children to:
▪ Develop oral proficiency, literacy, and academic abilities in two languages;
▪ Demonstrate academic performance at or above grade level;
▪. Participate in cross-cultural relationships and learning experiences that foster the development of positive self-esteem and cultural pride;
▪ Get involved with their parents in their educational process.
Montalvo's Two-Way Dual Immersion Program is designed to provide a strong beginning for all students. Classes are composed of a balance of English speakers and English learners. The curriculum (language arts, math, science, social studies, art, etc.) is taught primarily in Spanish during grades K-1 with a gradual increase in English instructional time until a 50:50 balance is obtained at 5th grade. Evaluation of student progress includes regular district assessments plus assessments of Spanish language skills. By the 5th grade, Audrey was bi-lingual, a skill that would serve her well in becoming the woman she is today.
Audrey took banjo lessons from several local teachers in Ventura County before she found the one who would help her realize her dream of playing clawhammer style on this unique instrument of choice. Christian Gallo of the Pole Cat Ramblers band, soon became Audrey’s teacher and she studied with him from the 7th grade onward. He is currently a teacher at Ventura High School and teaches Music Appreciation. Performing beside Christian, Audrey competed in the Goleta Fiddle Festival and took first place in the clawhammer banjo. She preferred “clawhammer” because it is a calmer, more folky style of banjo music, played without picks, rather than traditional fingerpicking which utilizes rolls and finger picks to create a more traditional banjo sound.
Audrey is very close with her immediate family, with whom she currently lives within Ventura. They are all musicians in their own rite. Jayne, Audrey’s older sister, sometimes plays cello in the Community Presbyterian worship band. Her mother, Laurie, played piano and violin as a child. Laurie is currently an 8th-grade language art and U.S. history teacher at Anacapa Middle School in Ventura. Her father, Mark Abbe, also played piano for many years when he was younger. He is now employed by the County of Ventura and sings in the Community Presbyterian church choir. Audrey gives credit to her grandparents, especially her Pop-pop John Curtis (92 years of age) for encouraging her to play in front of a crowd
Over the years, Audrey’s bilingual skills have come in handy, especially when she participated in mission trips with her church. On one occasion, she visited San Vicente, a small town in Baja California, Mexico where she was a translator, along with her sister. Together, they made lesson plans for Vacation Bible School at the church in San Vicente..
In addition to being an incredible musician and student, Audrey is an accomplished fine artist. At Bell Arts Studios in Ventura, she learned ceramics when she was four years old. Over the years, she has kept in touch with her art teacher, Maribel Hernandez, who recently reached out to Audrey to see if she would be interested in joining their teen program. Audrey has not participated in community art projects yet, but she hopes to do so in the future. Where will the future take Audrey? Wherever she goes and whatever she does, it will be exciting to watch how her skills and talents develop! Who knows? Maybe we will start seeing Audrey’s art in murals on the walls of buildings around our community.
Audrey is currently enrolled in Ventura Community College as a Fine Arts major. She has produced, and continues to create, several beautiful collage works of mixed media art, which can be viewed on Instagram. She plans to pursue promoting her fine art through websites and social media platforms.
At ages 12,13 and 14, she competed in the Goleta Fiddle Festival, winning first place intermediate banjo category, three years in a row. The Goleta Fiddle Festival is usually held the second Sunday in October.
From the ages of 12 thru 17, Audrey promoted her musical talents through busking at the local Ventura Farmer’s Market. Although this was a challenging and scary activity, to stand alone on a street, playing for strangers passing by, Audrey continued to face her fears. Her bravery paid off, as this public practice and performance often yielded lucrative financial rewards. One day she came home with over $95 in tips!
Fear often holds us back as creative creatures. Fear stops us in our tracks if we let it. It is a cruel emotional trap that affects both young and old, in all walks of life. When Audrey was in the 8th grade she started to write song melodies for the banjo. This came as a comfort to her because of the hard time she was going through, trying to face her fears. Audrey is a “brave” creative soul. Although she often feels intimidated by what lies ahead of her, she bravely moves forward with internal courage that drives her to continue. According to dictionary.com, the definition of courage is: “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery”. Emotions start in our hearts but are driven by what we think in our minds. Keeping our minds active with creative, positive thoughts really helps. Creating music from this place produces very special gifts that we can share with our audiences.
I asked Audrey how she manages to continue moving through her internal battles with fear and intimidation and she gives credit to several people who have impacted her journey. She claims that it is very important to surround yourself with people who will encourage you. When she first started playing the banjo, Dick Lemons, a former California State Old Time Fiddlers Association District 8 (CSOTFAD8) member, encouraged Audrey to perform in front of crowds. He told her that it would strengthen her abilities to play through the tunes. Although returning between songs often felt embarrassing, Audrey bravely stepped forward and switched on her “performance” face. Performing, again and again, helped her get better and better at her craft. In the Spring of 2014 and 2015, Audrey won a scholarship from CSOTFAD8 to attend the The Julian Family Fiddle Camp* where she attended bass and banjo workshops. The banjo teacher from the Julian Family Fiddle Camp was Chris Coole and the bass player was Gene Libbea. The Julian Family Fiddle Camp promotes Bluegrass, Appalachian, Old-time, Texas Style and Jazz styles and teaches Guitar • Mandolin • Vocals • Fiddle • Upright Bass • Cello • Banjo • Dobro. You can contact them at (760) 522-8458 or by emailing into@familyfiddlecamp.com. District 8 continues to support this fun, family camp with youth scholarships. Audrey’s favorite banjo musicians are Abigail Washburn and Chris Coole.
Audrey also loved performing at her school talent shows. She was encouraged by her peers and teachers. This positively reinforced her drive to perform. At one of these talent shows, CSOTFAD8 members, Bob Bueling and Joe Johnson backed Audrey up with guitar and mandolin. Bob, Joe and Pat Cronin held Bluegrass workshops at Anacapa Middle School, for students who were interested in learning about “Old Time Music”. During these years Audrey was also encouraged by CSOTFAD8 member and Fiddle teacher Charletta Erb, whom she considers to be both a friend and a mentor. In the summer of 2014 and 2015 Audrey played with Old Time Fiddlers in the Ojai Fourth of July parade.
In the seventh grade (2015) she was invited by her aunt Tina to be a backup musician for her choir. She played one song. Tina teaches beginning, intermediate, and advanced percussion ensemble. She is a choir teacher at Robert Frost Middle School in Granada Hills. As well as playing in school talent shows, Audrey played in her school district's Festival of Talent show in 2018 and 2019.
In January 2021 Audrey’s mother found an opportunity for Audrey to compete in a Deering Banjo Photo contest. Audrey agreed to participate and she was surprised when she won first place! The photo of her playing her banjo was placed on the cover of Deering Banjo’s magazine; another notch in her belt, as Audrey continues to move forward in her career as an artist and a musician. https://www.deeringbanjos.com/pages/2021-digital-catalog-photo-contest.
I asked Audrey to share with us some advice that will help all of us as musicians and artists. Her advice is this: “Surround yourself with people who will help you become better at what you are trying to become. Don’t be so hard on yourself! Keep practicing and never give up. By facing your frustrations and fears, you will feel a sense of satisfaction that builds your confidence and turns your nervousness into productive energy. Keep playing those melodies and actively “listen” to the music you love!
Interview by Pat Cronin
President
California State Old Time Fiddler’s Association - District 8
April 16, 2021
* Julian Family Fiddle Camp: https://familyfiddlecamp.com) where she attended bass and banjo workshops. The banjo teacher from the Julian Family Fiddle Camp was Chris Coole and the bass player was Gene Libbea. The Julian Family Fiddle Camp promotes Bluegrass, Appalachian, Old-time, Texas Style and Jazz styles and teaches Guitar • Mandolin • Vocals • Fiddle • Upright Bass • Cello • Banjo • Dobro. You can contact them at (760) 522-8458 or by emailing into@familyfiddlecamp.com.